You Don't Mean Anything
by Punk Pikachu
Summary: Mousse is getting fed up of the way Shampoo treats him and begins to wonder if it is really worth it. Can Mousse free himself from his love of the Amazon? Rated for language.
1. After The Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Author's Notes: My stories follow what I'm watching! I recently read "Gift Of Love" by Laguna's baby sister -which I recommend highly for Ranma lovers- and wanted to create my own Mousse-featured story. I can't stand the Mousse/Shampoo pairing, so it's time to mess with the mixture! Reviews are love!

----

His body was simply a mass of pain and scars, cleaning his new wounds. God dammit. He had tried to win Shampoo's heart once more and been completely destroyed in the process. The image of her kicking his unmoving body after the fight, staring down at him in complete disgust haunted Mousse's mind and made his stomach turn.

As many times as he had proclaimed his undying love for her, he knew there was no meaning to her. That shrew of a woman...

Mousse blinked for a moment. Where had that come from? No! He adored Shampoo! Her beauty, her strength, her bitchy attitude...

Dammit! Mousse pulled at his dark locks. What was going on? He'd never thought of anything negative about her in his life.

The young man sighed and pulled his coat over him once more, covering the bandaging. As much as he tried, he could not ignore a dull pain in his chest, one he had felt many times before.

----

He didn't have a real direction. After his beating today, he couldn't look Shampoo in the face while he tried to work and ended up causing even more trouble after he spilled hot ramen on the old woman. Enraged by him and his stupidity, she fired him. So Mousse wandered the streets, eyes downcast behind his glasses. The dull pain in his chest continued to ache, along with the scarred flesh under his bandages.

A clap of thunder brought his attention to the sky. Shit. He really didn't desire to deal walking back home as a duck.

"Hey, four eyes!" He heard someone cry and looked over. It was that girl. What was her name? Ukyo! The one who owned the Okonomiyaki restaurant.

"You look depressed. Come in before you get soaked." She smiled at him from the doorway and disappeared inside. As soon as Mousse set foot in the door, the rain began to fall heavily.

"Whoo, good idea you came in! It's going to be a cold night and you'd catch cold." Ukyo went back behind her counter, leaning on it as she poured herself a glass of water.

'Lady, you have no idea.' Mousse sighed and sat at the counter, letting his head fall and hit it, sounding quite painful.

'Um, are you okay?" She sweatdropped at the man who seemed to be close to weeping. His sleeves had rolled back and Ukyo gasped when she saw the bruises and bandages that covered his arms. Mousse hid his face in his sleeves and trembled, not crying but close to it.

"Um...do you want a drink? It's on me." She poured him a bit of rice wine and he gladly took it, downing the entire glass in one shot. The burning sensation felt good on his throat.

"Life fucking sucks." He muttered, closing his eyes as he laid his head once more on the cool counter.

"Don't have to tell me twice...hey, don't I know you? You work at the Cat Cafe, right?" Mousse simply nodded, then winced as he remembered he was now unemployed. "Yeah, you're a friend of Ranma!"

"Friend? What friend? Ramna is my enemy and holds the right of marriage to my woman."

"Akane is your woman?"

"No! Shampoo!" Her name reverberated in his head and he groaned as a headache began to form.

"Hmmp, I seriously doubt she will be able to sink her claws into him."

"Why so?" Mousse smiled a bit at the unintentional joke she had made.

"He's getting married."

"What? When did this happen?"

"It's in the spring. He and Akane are finally...getting married." Ukyo's voice faltered softly, her eyes clouded over. "I suppose it's for the best...they really are a good couple..."

Mousse looked at the girl across from him. The sadness in her voice felt very familiar and at the same time, calming to his own depression.

"With how those two fight, it's not a suprise. I guess it's something that was meant to be." The shattering of glass made him jump. Ukyo held her hand as blood dripped down from it, the bottle having burst in her grip.

"Fuck!" She cursed, biting her lip. Mousse jumped from his seat and behind the counter, taking her hand in his.

"Are you all right?" He asked, viewing the cuts in her hand. When he looked up to her face, the tears that she cried were not those of physical pain. They stood still for a moment, staring on another down until Ukyo yanked her hand from his, grimacing.

"I'm just fine! Just...agh!" In frustration, Ukyo stomped off to the back room, leaving Mousse in the front of the house, unsure of how to feel.

Behind the curtain, Ukyo held a cloth to her hand, still crying softly. "Stupid Ramna...Stupid, stupid Ranma!"


	2. No Longer Welcome

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2, even if I do have Mousse tied in my closet.

Author's Notes: Yeah, the title is off the Simple Plan song. I thought it suited it better.

----

Ukyo didn't return, so Mousse simply sighed and left a bit of money for her on the counter, feeling the wave of depression wash over him once more, along with the rain as he started his trek back home, a sad and depressed duck.

Ukyo finished bandaging her hand, pulling a few stray shards of glass from her hand. When she looked at the clock, it was well past closing time. Shit. The front counter was empty, so she figured the man had gone home. Coins on the counter caught her eye.

"Dammit, I told him it was on the house." She muttered, looking outside as she pulled down her signs. The rain was pouring hard and heavy.

"Hope he gets home ok."

----

Mousse managed to get back to the cafe in one piece, despite having a rogue cat attack him. As soon as he walked in, he felt a hand pull him up by the neck.

"Stupid duck boy! Now Shampoo in trouble for you!"

Mousse quacked wildly, trying to get loose from the enraged Amazon's iron grip. She simply tossed him to the ground and poured the hot water over his head.

"Stupid Mousse. Now have to find new delivery boy and you find new home."

Her words ricocheted in his mind and he stared with wide eyes.

"Shampoo...you're not serious, are you?"

"You have caused too much trouble for us to deal with any longer, You may continue to pursue Shampoo's affection, but from another abode, for you are no longer welcome here." Cologne replied behind him, his possessions packed away. "You have your last night here and tomorrow, you are to find another place of living."

"But, but...why?"

"Mousse, you...you...stupid!" Shampoo's hand came hard across his cheek, knocking his glasses to the side and shattering them against the wall. All was still as tears formed in his eyes.

"Shampoo...can't you see how I love you?" He groveled at her feet, sobbing. The more he cried, the more disgusted her face became until she landed a hard kick to his stomach and stepped over his curled figure.

"When Mousse realize? His love mean nothing to me!"

She and Cologne simply walked away and turned off the light, leaving him in the middle of the floor, hearing the sky thunder and his heart shatter upon the cafe floor.


	3. Just A Drop Of Karma

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Author's Notes: I love getting such detailed reviews. Keep reading and keep me posted on your opinions!

----

"Stupid Mousse, stupid Mousse...love means nothing..." Her voice echoed in his head and through his dreams all through the night. When he finally awoke, he realized he was still sleeping on the floor of the cafe. The rain had continued through the night and into the early morning, bringing with it a deep fog. His body ached in so many ways, feeling as though his heart had been bleeding slowly all night.

Sitting up, he felt almost ill. The smell of hot ramen made him turn his head, blinking. Shampoo had set out a bowl for him, but was still sneering.

"You lucky Great Grandmother make me cook one more time for you. I would already kick you you into street." She turned on her heels as Mousse dragged himself up from the floor into a chair. His body felt as though it were weighed down by hundreds of pounds. The ramen warmed his belly, but made his nausea a bit worse. Soon, he had his equipment on his back along with an umbrella Cologne had given to him.

"Great Grandmother too nice to stupid duck boy." Her arms were crossed. "Why no leave yet? Go!"

Mousse stood before the Amazon woman, gazing at her, the anger in her eyes. This woman had inflicted so much pain on him over the years, all because he loved her...But in her bright eyes, no love was returned, only a desire to have him out of her life.

"Shampoo...you really hate me that much?" He asked, his voice low and pained.

"Yes, how many times Shampoo have to say it!? Leave!"

He couldn't leave without returning the favor. As he opened the umbrella to step out into the rain, he looked at her with the most serious of expressions.

"Ranma's getting married in the spring."

Her eyes went wide with shock, breath caught in her throat. In a moment, her teeth were barred in rage.

"You lie! Mousse lie to me!"

"I wouldn't lie to you, my dearest Shampoo." He bowed his head to the old woman and walked off, with the smallest sense of satisfaction.

Once he had left them, the old woman turned her head to Shampoo. "You know if he speaks the truth, by Amazon Law, the Kiss of Marriage is void."

Shampoo's fists were tightly balled, near tears. "Mousse lie, Mousse lie, Mousse lie!"

----

Where would he go? There was nowhere to now. The rain reflected his heart, dark and fogged, completely lost.

Seeing that little ounce of pain in her eyes...as much as he hated to admit it, it felt good. There was so much aching in his now fragile heart because of her...that god damn woman... He would have mentally chided himself for speaking bad of her, but right now, it felt better than anything in the world. Through his memories, he searched all of his of Shampoo and the more he looked, the more pain and anger he found. He never had a chance with her. It was all a lie.

"Bitch." The words on his lips stung, but lit a fire inside him. "Bitch, whore, lying evil shrew!" The more he spoke, the louder his words and the more pain he released into them. "Fuck you, evil harlot Amazon! Lying, deceiving evil woman! Fuck you!" His fist went through a wall, shattering it into rubble, the dark haired man now running blindly through the rainy streets. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed to get there and away from all of this pain.

He ran through street after street, all through Nerima, not even knowing where he was running. Finally, with his wounds and broken spirit, Mousse collapsed in front of a very familiar dojo...


	4. Cleansing The Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Author's Notes: -is currently in closet with a tied up Mousse-

----

He could hear muffled voices around him, both female.

"Isn't that Mousse?"

"Damn, he's beat up pretty badly."

"Ranma, stop poking him! He's still breathing, stupid!"

"Jeez, I was just checking!"

"Come on, get his stuff, we can't leave him in the middle of the road like this."

"Fine, fine..."

He felt his now duck body being lifted and cradled in someone's arms, his head resting on a female's soft chest. He could hear her pulse and it was soothing, for it felt his own would not beat.

'Thank you...' He said in his head as he fell asleep in her embrace.

----

_There was nothing, only darkness and her voice screaming around her. Stupid Mousse! Stupid Mousse! It bounced off the walls and sliced him, seeing new wounds appear each time he heard her voice. His head ached, throbbing incessantly._

_"Die Mousse!" His beloved hovered over his kneeling body, reaching down and digging her cat claws into his chest, a sadistic smile on her face. Her claws were like daggers, cutting through his flesh to find his heart, pulling it from him as he gasped in immeasurable pain. He could see it beating in her bloody hand._

_"Mousse love...mean nothing!" Her grip tightened around it, making it burst in an explosion of blood._

_Nothing mattered...he would die there as he heard her laugh, leaving him to bleed..._

_Then it all became warm and soft...was this death? Was death supposed to feel this...relieving...?_

_----_

Mousse tilted his head as he woke up. The warmth he felt around him was actually warm water. He was in the Tendo's bathtub. His vision was completely fogged, but he could tell there was someone carefully washing his body.

"You're awake." He heard the voice and recognized it as Akane Tendo. Her hands were washing dried blood from his chest. They were incredibly soft for someone with so much strength.

"Why..." His voice was hoarse and he coughed, his lungs feeling quite tight.

"Don't move too much. You're sick and from the looks of it, pretty messed up. You tried to fight Shampoo again?"

Akane noticed something very strange. At her name, normally Mousse's face had a look of longing. Today, at her name, he cringed almost painfully.

"Please...don't say her name..." He sighed, then blinked for a moment. He was...naked. Mousse quickly covered himself, a blush across his face. Akane just laughed.

"Mousse, you really think I haven't seen a naked man before? Relax, I don't plan to take advantage of you." She smiled and although he could barely see it, it was there. Slowly, he let down his hands and laid back, letting her cleanse him. Her touch felt incredibly soothing and gentle.

"So is it true you're getting married?" He asked, eyes shut as he let the heat relax him.

"Yes. Ranma and I plan to wed in the spring."

"He proposed?"

"Mhm. He did on New Year's Eve, right before midnight. He told me he wanted to begin to the new year with me at his side." She sighed happily.

"Doesn't sound like Saotome."

"Well, it took him a long time. Kuno had tried to kiss me before midnight and it set off something in him."

Mousse smiled softly. This was not something he got much. A woman was the superior, yet this one was caring for him.

"So why were you out in this horrid weather?"

"They fired me and kicked me out." His voice hinted a sourness to it as he remembered. Her hands stopped.

"Are you serious?"

"They said I was too much of a burden and if I wished to continue to pursue...Shampoo, I would have to do it elsewhere." He had trouble saying her name without wincing.

"Mousse...where will you go?"

"To be shamed by the Amazon tribe...I really don't know, Akane Tendo...right now...I really do not know where to go."


	5. The Duck And The Swan

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Author's Notes: I should be napping because of how tired I feel, but I prefer writing. Reviews are love and couplings are never certain! Well, main focus character ones anyway.

----

"You did WHAT?!"

Akane's face crumpled into a sour look.

"What's wrong with me telling him he could stay here?"

"Akane, have you forgotten that Mousse has tried to kill me on a regular basis? And you invite him to live in our house?"

"Ranma, give him a break. He lost his job, they kicked him out and we can't just let him wander."

"You mean like we do Ryoga?"

"Ryoga wanders on his own and you know that, Ranma."

"You could have at least asked..." He pouted, quite annoyed.

"Fine. Please, Ranma honey?" Her eyes went big, pouting her bottom lip. He looked at her and she knew she had him.

"...Fine..."

"Besides, once the rain lets up, you and I have preparations for the wedding. It's in May, remember? We'll need all the help we can get." Her arms wrapped around him as he smiled.

"How could I forget? I guess he can stay."

"Thank you, Ranma. I know you don't believe me, but I really think he's hurting. When I said her name, he told me not to."

"Maybe he finally realizes the truth." Ranma sighed, then looked at his future bride, who laid her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, just close in the dim light.

"Uncute." He smiled at her.

"Pervert." She smirked back.

----

"You are sure I'm not causing you any trouble?" Mousse asked Kasumi, who showed him to the room that Ranma slept in. Despite being officially engaged, Kasumi prohibited Ranma and Akane from sleeping in the same room. Genma had taken up residence in Soun's room to prevent nightly arguments.

"Oh of course not." She smiled softly, setting out a bed for him. Mousse had known Akane for a while, but seeing the difference between her and Kasumi was astounding. How did two sisters end up so opposite? But when they smiled, it was exactly the same kind of smile that revealed a truely kind person under it all. But...didn't she have another sister?

"Hey Kasumi, why don't you put him in my room? I could use someone to snuggle up to in the night." He shivered as Nabiki ran her finger up his spine.

"Oh Nabiki, how could you even think of something so shocking? I thought I had raised you better."

"Will you relax? I was just joking." The look she shot to Mousse told him otherwise as she walked away. He shuddered. Nabiki did not carry the same kind of demeanor that her sisters did. There was something about her that...creeped him out.

"No gay sex with Ranma!" She shouted from down the hall, making Mousse slam his face into the floor. Yeah, she officially earned an "irritating" sticker.

"Oh my, are you all right?" Kasumi asked as she helped him back up.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." These women were so strange. They catered to him like he was an equal. Compared to the Amazons, they treated him like...well, he was worthy.

Kasumi left him to get settled and he sat upon the bed she had made for him, pondering his situation. Only yesterday, he was still tolerated somewhat by the woman he supposably loved and had a job. He was now unemployed, abandoned by his kind and taken into his greatest rival's home as a guest. Was this better or worse? Nothing felt like it should, including himself. He set his glasses on the table, unpacking his belongings. He found at the bottom of his bag, a crumpled origami swan he had made for Shampoo ages ago. He looked at the creature. Its wings were bent and it had rips in so many places. The rain had touched it, soaking through in parts.

It was him. Shampoo rejected him just as she did the swan. For years, she had told him she hated him. Only now did the words finally ring true.


	6. Hot Chocolate Bonding

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Author's Notes: is snuggling poor Mousse in my closet

----

For a moment, as he began to arise, he could swear the smell of ramen broth was in the air and he was clinging to Shampoo's soft body. As he came to his senses, he realized the floor he slept on was not dusty, his bed was actually warm and he was clinging Ranma's sleeping figure.

Ranma.

Mousse held back a disgusted shriek as he jumped back, his heart pounding. Where was he?! Looking around, he remembered the day before and caught his breath. He was in the Tendo home. As his heart returned to a normal state, he looked outside. It was still pouring rain like it had been yesterday. Wait, was it the next day even? He had no sense of time anymore. As he glanced at the clock, he realized it was 3 in the morning. No wonder it seemed so tranquil.

Now that he was awake, he didn't really wish to continue to stay in the room with the sleeping Ranma, so he decided to take a walk. He groaned softly as he got up. His body ached, but felt somewhat better after his bath. He reminded himself to thank Akane for that later.

The night was cold as he pulled his robe tighter around him. He blinked through his glasses, getting adjusted to the light as he wandered the halls. There was so much space in the Tendo home, not like his small corner in the cafe attic.

A noise behind him made him stop. Preparing himself, he rose his hands. Had a voice not sounded, he would have attacked.

"What are you doing up?" Akane looked at him, wrapped in a blanket.

"Ah, Akane." He lowered his hands. "Ah, sleeping in a strange place, I guess." Now he could see her much clearly, even in the dark.

"I understand." She smiled and he remarked in his mind how pretty she was when she smiled.

"Thank you...for earlier..." He said softly, still slightly embarrassed at her seeing him in the nude.

"You're welcome. I couldn't just let you freeze. Do you want something to drink?"

She led him into the kitchen and lit a lantern, not wishing to blind herself with the normal lights.

"I know I can't cook, but I've at least figured out how to make a bit of hot chocolate." Setting the milk on the stove, Akane pulled the blanket closer around herself. "I couldn't sleep because I was too cold. And Kasumi won't let Ranma into my room." She pouted a bit as she reached for cups.

"I could imagine how that would be a problem." Mousse smirked a bit.

"I'm quite glad you're feeling better though." Akane smiled at him, sitting down as the milk warmed. "You looked dead when we found you outside."

His smile faded as he looked at the table. "At this point, I'm wondering if that's such a bad thing..."

"Mousse, don't say that! There are more things in life to live for than just her." He silently thanked her for not saying her name.

"I've spent every waking day either trying to win her heart or defeat Ranma IN ORDER to win her heart. I've just come to realize it's hopeless. She wouldn't love me no matter what I did."

He felt Akane's hand on his and looked at her.

"Mousse, there is so much more out there than just winning her love. She may not love you, but there are others that do and want so much more for you than being with someone like her would ever bring." Her voice had a sense of annoyance at her image. "Think about it. Even if you won her, she'd never be happy and continue to treat you as she always has."

The images ran through his head and he sighed softly. "I know..."

Akane jumped up as the tea kettle began to whistle, reaching out and grabbing it. She winced and set it on the counter and hissed.

"Owowow, fuck...burned my hand." Mousse stood and reached in his robe, finding an herb to which he placed on her hand. A soothing coolness spread over her fingers. She looked up at the man above over her and he smiled softly. What broke her heart was the sadness and longing in his eyes behind his smile.

"Thank you..." She poured the heated milk (with her other hand) into two cups and dropped in two pieces each of a special chocolate, adding a drop of vanilla to each. Her sweet smile reappeared.

"Ranma taught me how to make this. I like watching it." Mousse tilted his head and looked at the cups. Slowly, a brown swirl appeared in the steaming milk, giving off the beautiful rich aroma. It was strangely beautiful.

Akane giggled softly as she sat back down, picking up hers as she sipped it, letting out a pleased sigh. "Mmmm..." Mousse looked at his cup and slowly took a sip. His body was instantly flooded with a sense of warmth, like being dipped into the hot chocolate itself.

"It's delicious."

Akane blushed and smiled. "Thanks. I don't remember how many times it took him to teach me that before I finally got it right." She laughed softly.

"You really love him, don't you?" Mousse asked, feeling at peace with the new warmth in his body.

"I...I do..." She blushed softly as she drank, breathing in the scent of chocolate. "It took us forever to realize it...I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear me go on..."

"I don't mind. It's nice to be in the company of a woman who isn't pummeling me or spouting insults."

"Heh...it really did though. I kinda knew it all along that there was something, but it took both of us to get over our pride before we knew what we had. I can think of many a time I could have lost him forever, but somehow, we always came back to one another."

Mousse looked at the woman drinking across him. He remembered the first time he had seen her, when he attempted to kidnap her, so many times he hugged her, mistaking her for Shampoo...Akane, though violent and sometimes hot tempered, was truely a sweet girl.

"But Mousse..." He looked in her eyes, which now seemed pleading. "Please...don't ever think that losing someone like Shampoo," She spat her name like it was sour. "means you are alone." Her injured hand rested on top of his. "You may not mean anything to her, but you mean so much more to your friends. You're a good man and if she can't see it, then she is not worthy of you."

The words came from her lips, but Mousse could scarcely believe them. He had spent all his life trying to be worthy for her and the thought of Shampoo unworthy to him? It was completely baffling and backwards to his entire life. But, at that moment in time, something in him, something he had buried so long ago, reached out and believed it.

"Akane..." His voice was hushed, almost amazed. She simply smiled and finished the rest of her hot chocolate. As she placed her cup in the sink, she leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Get some rest, Mousse." He heard her footsteps behind him and sat for a moment, pondering what had happened. He touched his cheek where her lips had touched, a feeling brewing inside his body. It felt almost of...renewal.

Mousse returned to his room, carrying her hot chocolate. He blinked as a figure sat up. It was Ranma.

"You didn't think I could sleep with the smell of that in the room?" He chuckled. Mousse sat down and offered him the rest.

"Saotome..." He said softly as Ranma drank the rest happily.

"Hmm?"

"You're a lucky man."

Ranma wiped the remnants of the hot chocolate off his face and smiled to his companion.

"I know."


	7. Never Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2.

Author's Notes: Sorry my updates have been coming slower. A lot of school work lately. Read and review!

--

When had Mousse laid down again and gone back to sleep? He couldn't remember. But he found himself once again on the floor, this time clinging to his blanket as he emerged from the haze of sleep. The clock this time read 8:15 am. Normally, he would have been up at 5 am, mopping floors and running errands for Cologne. Today, he was half asleep on the Tendo's floor; a guest in the house of his rival, or former rival.

He tried to sit up, but a rush of blood forced him back down as the room spun around him. The blankets were still very warm, a contrast to the cool air outside, still heavy with rain. They smelled of a very gentle fabric softener.

"Mousse-san?"

He looked up at the voice calling his name as Kasumi poked her head in.

"Um, it's time for breakfast. If you are still tired, I understand." He felt a dull ache in his back, but sat up, this time keeping his eyes closed.

"Thank you, Miss Tendo. I shall be there in a moment."

As she closed the door, he found his glasses and regained his equilibrium.

--

The sweet smell of Kasumi's cooking wafted into the air as he stepped out. It was a welcome change to the smell of ramen he was so used to. He heard the sounds of combat to his left. Turning his head, he watched as Ranma and Genma, both soaked by the rain, walked in from the garden, toweling off.

"Cheating old man." Ranma muttered under her breath. Genma simply made a sound and whacked her on the back of the head.

"You two are going to catch cold out there in this rain." Kasumi entered holding a kettle of hot water for the both of them. "Oh, Mousse-san, please, sit down." She smiled at him.

He nodded, still not used to her soft tone and welcoming aura. He sat at the table and looked at the bit of breakfast that sat before him. For the first time in years, he was eating a real breakfast, not in his tiny room, but at a table with multiple people. Things just felt more and more foreign.

Kasumi walked in, holding a kettle of hot water and found herself losing footing. The kettle flew from her hands right into the face of Mousse, leaving a dent. Well, I guess it didn't feel so different.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I slipped!" Kasumi turned bright red as she apologized over and over, bowing to Mousse, who simply smiled crookedly and shook his hands in front of her as she handed the kettle to Ranma.

"Please, Miss Tendo, I'm all right. Really, I am." He laughed softly as Kasumi rushed back into the kitchen, still red. A sigh escaped his lips.

"So now that you're not working for the old witch, what are you going to do now?" Ranma asked, drying out the ends of his hair.

"I...don't know. Look for another job, I suppose. I don't expect to stay here for free." He cleaned off his glasses, listening to it begin to rain harder.

"Obviously not." Soun Tendo replied as he sat at the table. "That is why you'll be working at the dojo."

Mousse blinked for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"It's the ending of winter, into the spring. New students emerge from the cold winter like buds from the ground." Soun recited poetically as Genma nodded. "However, this family has a wedding to plan."

He tilted his head to the side.

"And where do I come in on this?"

--

"Um, you're kidding, right?" He looked over the lists of students applying and the ages. "I've...never worked with children."

"Don't worry, you'll do fine, Mousse, my boy." Soun replied confidently, gaining only a look of complete confusion from Mousse and an "Are you serious?" look from his daughters.

"Dad, I know we need the money, but seriously, elementary school students?"

"Akane, who am I to deny a child's willingness to learn of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts?" He smiled, Genma nodding along with him.

Mousse looked over the list again. Well, it was only a handful of students. How hard could working with kids be?

"I...guess I can help out."

"That's the spirit!" Soun happily slapped him on the back, making Mousse wince a bit. He gave a sorry excuse of a smile back, still feeling quite out of place in the Tendo household. Had life really changed this much in two days?

--

By the end of the day, the rain had been reduced to a soft sprinkling, but the sky still threatened a more intense showering of water. Other than cleaning, it had been an oddly quiet day in the Tendo house, save for the occasional fights between Ranma and Genma which left them thrown out into the rain and fighting it out. But this was fairly standard anymore.

Mousse looked out the window of the bedroom that night, watching the misty air and breathing it in, feeling the softness of the night caress his cheeks. His heart felt a bit lighter, but at the same time, felt empty. He didn't have the constant heaviness of Shampoo on his mind, but had no real direction or drive now. What was he supposed to do? He sighed, feeling incredibly lost. All he had known was his love for the Amazon girl and now...it was a void inside him. This was a new place and he didn't want to move until he had found some kind of path to walk on, even if it meant leaving everything he ever knew behind.

But, wasn't that why he was here? Akane's words from the night before echoed in his mind and both confusion and comfort came upon him. Maybe this was a completely new and unfamiliar path, but like she had said, he knew he wasn't alone. Shutting the window, he actually managed a soft smile before settling into his makeshift bed into one of the most restful nights he had experienced in years.


	8. Headaches And Hot Springs

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2, but that's been established many times already.

Author's Notes: -feels empty and bored-

--

The days had begun to blur for the dark haired man. While he felt welcomed at the Tendo house, he could not shake the emptiness that seemed to be following him like the persistant rain that had come down upon Nerima. While he smiled when they asked him to do work, he stayed up most of the nights just contemplating what he was even doing here. Mousse would listen to Ranma snore loudly as he wondered on whether he should be here or just go back home to China and try to restart his life there.

No, the tribe probably wouldn't even take him back after what had happened. They would either kill him right there or run him off into the wilderness. Mousse sighed as he laid back upon his small bed. He couldn't go back to China, but what did Japan have to offer him now that Shampoo was not the focus of his life anymore? He couldn't even imagine her without cringing. Many truths had finally begun to surface since he had been kicked out. He realized how much of his life he wasted chasing after someone who was never going to love him, no matter how strong he became. How badly she had treated him. Yet...he saw a few kind moments of hers where she actually did care. A few moments where she would take his wounded body back and treat him, then return to herself when he was healed and continue to mock and disregard the love he offered her.

Perhaps...he should persue someone else? Mousse shook his head at the thought. No. He would just be displacing his longing for purpose into persual of another person. He sat up, feeling rattled and upset. This was annoying. He also had a persistant headache that had lasted for a few days. He attributed it to stress, but wondered if he should see someone for it.

--

The clinic had been a bit more empty the past couple weeks or so, travelers not wishing to go out in the rain to get checked up on. So it suprised Dr. Tofu to hear the doors of his office open, particulary at such a late hour of the night. He poked his head out and saw a familiar face.

"Why hello there." He smiled at Mousse, who had borrowed an umbrella from the Tendos. "What brings you around here so late?"

Mousse took off his glasses to clean off the rain and Dr. Tofu noticed the look of apathy in the young man's eyes.

"Headache. I've had it for a good four days." He replied, putting them back on. Oddly enough, since being kicked out, he remembered his glasses much more often.

"Well, let's check you out and see what we can do for you." He went to wash his hands and Mousse looked at how empty the clinic was. It looked strange and quite somber in the night.

He sat on the stool in the back as Dr. Tofu smiled at him, obviously trying to get one out of him in response. Mousse simply pulled his hair back and slid down the top of his robe to reveal his broad shoulders to the doctor.

"So four days and it still hasn't gone away? Anything you think that could be causing it? Stress, overworking or something like that?" He felt along the young man's neck and shoulders, noting how much tense muscle lay under his skin.

"Not really..." He sighed, setting his glasses on the table beside him.

"Haven't been chasing after your girl too much, huh?" Dr. Tofu jumped a bit when he felt how much Mousse's muscles tensed from mentioning her. The look on his face suggested he best not do it again. Instead, he let the silence hang in the air for a bit before clearning his throat.

"Well, I can work out a few kinks in your neck and back you have to relieve a bit of the pressure, but other than that, might I suggest a bit of time to yourself?"

Mousse's ears perked up as he groaned softly, feeling Dr. Tofu's hands work on the constricted muscles along his neck.

"For many patients, a great deal of stress and/or depression is caused because of the people around them and _their_ stress projected onto you. Maybe take a little time just to be by yourself, figure out what you really want in life."

"I don't know what the fuck I want anymore..." Mousse sighed, then groaned as he heard a crack in his neck.

"Then you should go find out." Dr. Tofu smiled as he handed him a pamphelt for a place called Mizu Palace. "It's a fabulous hot springs. Quite secluded."

"I'd like to, but I don't think I have the money..."

"Tell them you're there on my orders." He winked and stood Mousse back up. Mousse's headache had vanished and he felt quite fatigued now.

"Thank you Dr. Tofu. I will consider it."

Mousse didn't even make it out the door before he fell asleep on the floor of Dr. Tofu's clinic. He sighed and dragged the young man to a couch.

'What a troubled soul.' Dr. Tofu sighed as he prepared a bit of tea for the night.


End file.
